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Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Rudolf Hecl Twin Peaks: Revolution on TV Master ’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr. 2009 1 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. .................................................. Author’s signature 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Dr., for his kind help, support and valuable advice. Also, I would like to thank Leesa Wheatley for proofreading my thesis. 3 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 5 01. Lynch ...................................................................................................................................... 7 02. Twin Peaks ........................................................................................................................... 25 General facts about Twin Peaks .............................................................................................. 25 Auteur Theory vs. Collaborators (Why Lynch’s Twin Peaks ?) .............................................. 27 Plot .......................................................................................................................................... 30 Characters ................................................................................................................................ 38 Motifs and Themes .................................................................................................................. 43 03. Cinema ................................................................................................................................. 51 Sound ...................................................................................................................................... 52 Image ....................................................................................................................................... 54 Mood ....................................................................................................................................... 56 Blue Velvet .............................................................................................................................. 59 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me .............................................................................................. 64 04. Television and Media .......................................................................................................... 69 Genre ....................................................................................................................................... 69 Legacy ..................................................................................................................................... 71 Media ...................................................................................................................................... 74 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 77 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 79 4 Introduction Twin Peaks is an ABC television series first aired in 1990 and 1991. It is associated, above all, with the well-known filmmaker David Lynch. Owing to this connection,as well as other factors, TwinPeaks is generally regardedas a television milestone anda series that changedTV.The objective of this thesis is topresent the factors that contributed to Twin Peaks’ status as a revolutionary television show. It introduces bothDavid Lynchandhis only successful workfor television.From several angles, it seeks to analyze why and in what respects Twin Peaks is considered pioneering. The first chapter is about DavidLynch,the manbehind TwinPeaks .Although Lynchwasneithertheonlyauthor(hecocreatedtheserieswithMarkFrost,andseveral other authors participated in writing the screenplay) nor the only director (he only directed two pilots and four more episodes, the remaining twentyfour episodes were directedbyother people,usuallychosenbyhim),he was the manwhose influence was decisive inmaking TwinPeaks novel.The chapter sums up Lynch’s filmography,adds basic biographical informationandmentionsconnectionswiththeseries. The followingchapter focuses on TwinPeaks itself.It gives anoverview of the series –mainplotlines andcharacters,themes andmotifs –andtries toshow what was newandunusualonthetelevisionscreeninthisrespect. Chapter 3deals with TwinPeaks’ affiliation withcinema.It observes cinematic techniques usedinthe series whichare not verycommononthe small screen,as well as comparingTwinPeaks withLynch’s films from the same periodof time,inparticular Blue Velvet precedingthe series and TwinPeaks: Fire Walk withMe ,a prequel tothe TVshowshotafter theserieswas stoppedbyABC. 5 The final chapter,entitled“TelevisionandMedia,” adds a few points regarding TwinPeaks that shouldbe mentioned,as theyare of importance especiallyas far as the receptionof the series is concerned.The problematic genre classificationandthe legacy of the series are discussed,along withthe crucial role of the media inbothpromoting TwinPeaks andlatercontributingtoitsdecline. 6 01. Lynch Whenthe words TwinPeaks are uttered,the name of DavidLynchimmediately springs tothe mindof everypersonat least averagelyfamiliar withtelevision,cinema andpopular culture.Althoughhe is far from beingthe only personbehindthe series,he is arguablythe most important one (anddefinitelythe most famous one).Whois this man, whois generallyregardedas ‘weird’ and‘quirky’ –synonyms that are sooften attributed to Twin Peaks as well? What’s so special about him? Answering these questionshelpsusunderstandwhat issospecial about TwinPeaks .1 However bizarre a personality David Lynch may be, one thing is absolutely clear: he is a ‘cult’ director.The definitionof cult is veryproblematic,andthere is no consensus as towhat exactlyit means,but Lynchis a cult artist without a doubt.If cult films require “controversy,inarguments over quality,themes,talent and other matters” 2 (ARBEIT 7), if theyare “special films that elicit a fierypassioninmoviegoers long after initial releases” (ARBEIT 8),if they “[lack] form,andsocanbe endlessly deformedand put out of joint” (ARBEIT 11),if cult is “art ‘from the margins andextremes’” or if cult directors are “suchartists whodevelopedanoriginal visual or narrative style,populated theirworkswithcomplexcharacters,andsecuredasufficient degreeofauthorialcontrol over their output” (ARBEIT 17),DavidLynchandhis films fit all these definitions. A cultdirector fromtheverybeginningofhiscareer, 3Lynchmanagedtoattractmediaand public attention in the early 1980s, but above all in 1986, when Blue Velvet was released. The Internet Movie Database quotes the tagline from the US Laserdisc release 1 Unless stated otherwise, all the facts and dates in this chapter concerning Lynch’s filmography are taken from The Internet Movie Database (IMD B); all the biographical information is from FISCHER . 2 In his essay, Marcel Arbeit quotes or paraphrases definitions of cult by various scholars. 3 His debut Eraserhead is commonly referred to as a cult movie: e.g. “the cult item Eraserhead ” (THOMSON and BORDWELL 720) 7 of Blue Velvet : “The Most TalkedAbout Film of the Decade” (IMD B).His next major work for the screen – putting aside Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1990), whichwas a “videoproductionof live theatrical performance” (HUGHES 98) –was TwinPeaks .The fact that Lynch,a director paradingthe dark side of humanpsyche inhis films,was about toworkfor television,a medium not inthe least as liberal as cinema andverymuchunder the control of censors,causeda lot of excitement.The series was a sensationeven before it was first screened, largelythanks to Lynch’s reputation. But to introduce David Lynch, it would probably be better to startwitha briefoverviewofhis biographyandhis oeuvre . DavidLynchwas born in1946inMissoula,Montana. Apart from one year in North Carolina, Lynch spent his childhood in the northwest of the United States: in Montana,WashingtonandIdaho.This regionleft a deep impressionon his mind.It is not a coincidence that the fictitious town,TwinPeaks,is locatedinWashingtonstate, and that originally the series was supposed tobe called Northwest Passage (FISCHER 148).Later Lynch’s familymoved toAlexandria,Virginia.David’s educationis very conciselysummarizedin International Dictionary of Films andFilmmakers –[Vol.] 2, Directors : “Educatedat HighSchool inAlexandria,Virginia; Pennsylvania Academyof Fine Art,Philadelphia; AmericanFilm Institute Centre for AdvancedStudies,studying under Frank Daniel, 1970” (NEWMAN 537). Indeed, David Lynch started as a painter andonlygot to film duringhis studies at the Pennsylvania Academyof Fine Arts.He felt paintings were toostatic; he wishedtheycouldmove andmake sounds (HUGHES 5). The result was a one-minute colour animation Six Figures Getting Sick in 1966 (accordingtoIMD B andFISCHER ; in1967accordingtoHUGHES ).“The most important legacy of Six Figures Getting Sick was that it prompted a wealthy artist, H. Barton Wasserman, toorder a similar ‘movingpainting’ that he couldproject at home anytime 8 he felt like it. Lynch did not wait